


Beyond an Experience

by criss_cross_applesauce



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Choices, F/M, Love, One Shot, Peace, Spiritual, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-10
Updated: 2018-03-10
Packaged: 2019-03-29 12:27:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13927161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/criss_cross_applesauce/pseuds/criss_cross_applesauce
Summary: I started writing this before I read this. https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443855 After reading it I decided that I needed to change the ending of my story and make it better. Thank you, ModestMondays, for inspiring me to make it better.





	Beyond an Experience

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before I read this. https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443855 After reading it I decided that I needed to change the ending of my story and make it better. Thank you, ModestMondays, for inspiring me to make it better.

Steven walks into the hospital room that his lover has been staying in for the past few months. Connie is on her last leg and it really shows, but she can still talk. He knows this has been coming for decades, the end of her life. She’s looking out of the window contemplating something. Steven looks at all the special machinery that’s been developed over the past two centuries. It’s remarkable. He remembers when he was just a lad how futuristic all of this would have seemed. Now it feels as commonplace as a fork or a spoon.

“Hey.”

“Hhey.” She turns her head to face him.

“Are you doing alright?” He walks to the side of her bed.

“Hehe~ Other than being at the end of my rope, I’m doing dandy.” She smiles, wrinkles and all.

Steven looks so sad with his long flowing white hair. She teased him the last few years about how she only had gray hair compared to his and he would tease her back which sometimes lead to some action, but not as often as they used to when they were younger. His eyes and his face have been wizened by the years.

When she looks into his eyes and sees that deep pain she holds his hand. “I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I’ve lived such a full life. Experiencing so many things with you. I couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m so happy that I met you. I’m so happy I’ve had the privilege to know you. To live with you. To love you.”

Steven almost starts crying, but his resolve strengthens and he squeezes Connie’s hand. “Sweetheart, I-”

He pauses and then continues. “Let’s fuse. Permanently.”

“Wh-what? Steven, we’ve talked about this before. The gems would understand, but I don’t want to pull you away from our children and our grandchildren. Would it be fair to them to take away both of us? I know we’d still be there, but we wouldn’t be ourselves. They wouldn’t be able to be affectionate to us as ourselves. Besides, don’t you remember? Even if I’m gone we’re still together.” She says hoarsely and puts her hand to his cheek.

He holds her hand on his face. “I know, but I’m not asking because I don’t want to be separate. Fuse with me.”

“Steven, baby. I’m dying. I don’t know if it would even work like that now.”

“Then I want to die with you. I’ve lived full life and I’ve been ready to die for a while. I know I’d be happy without you. Misery is not the reason I want this. I’m not trying to escape anything. I don’t want this because I would feel like I was incomplete without you. And I’m not asking because I feel like I have to. I can’t put into words why I want this. I just do.” What he’s going through is not suicidal thoughts, not in the normal sense. Going by dictionary definitions, sure, it’s suicidal. However, it is much different than what one would normally think of as suicidal. The reasons are so fundamentally different that to call them equivalent would be to call an elephant and an alligator the same thing because they both have four legs.

She gasps, but then she asks, “Are you sure?”

“The only thing I’m more certain of is the fact that I love you and our family.”

“Did you talk about this with our children?”

“Yes.”

“And they’re okay with it?”

“No. They feel very strongly about this, and do not want me to go any more than they would ever want you to go. I know it sounds selfish, but this is my decision to make. I don’t want them to hurt, but I have to follow my heart. Now all I need to know is if you want to do this or not. Whatever your choice is, I’ll respect and cherish it as best I can.”

She chuckles softly seeing that his intuition is at its peak, which is unbelievably strong given how much he is already in touch with it. Whenever Steven talks in that manner he is always right. Sure he’s been wrong about a lot of things, but when he speaks in that manner he’s never wrong. She’s not entirely sure if this is the right path, but it sounds exciting nonetheless, and if he’s this sure about this that gives her a little bit of comfort. “Alright. If you’re so certain, then I accept your offer. But first, before that. Can we… Just one more time? I miss you so much.”

Steven kisses her on the lips. They’ve always enjoyed the emotional connection they feel through it. Nothing else matters in those moments. They become the only thing in each other’s universe. A sharp laser focus. The only other thing to match it was fusion, but that was completely different in experience and yet exactly the same in essence. “Say no more.”

A nurse almost accidentally interrupted, but when she had one glance at what was going on she decided it was better to just let them be. It can wait.

After they had their fill Connie says, “You have no idea how much I missed this. That has been the worst part of being in this hospital for months, not being with you. When we’re together it’s such a significant experience that can’t be adequately expressed in words. Understanding each other so utterly. Of course, your oodles of affectionate love have been a great comfort regardless. The hugs. The kisses. Visiting me every day. You’re such a sweet person, you know that?”

“I think I have an idea of how you felt. And hey, I still got it.” Connie snickers and they smile at each other.

“Okay, I’m ready.” Connie says with serenity in her eyes.

Their bodies pull in closer with each other. Steven’s gem starts to glow. As they fuse they feel themselves starting to pass on. Their flames combine and become one while their bodies become engulfed in light. With their final glimpses of life they, together, light a new candle. In a way, it’s like when a star dies, its dying explosion causing new stars to be formed in the nebulae surrounding it.

Once the light dissipates nothing is left, not even Rose’s gem. Steven and Connie are no more. Erased. Everything they thought made them, them, is gone.

Hours later a nurse comes to check in on the patient, but not one person is there. Where could she have gone?

Months pass by, but their children are completely unable to find their parents. Not even the Crystal Gems were able to find either of them. They were truly gone. Not just dead, but completely gone, or so they thought. Their granddaughter was happy her mom’s parents were able to see her graduate from medical school before they disappeared. After the months passed by their granddaughter was working in the hospital and helping to deliver a baby.

“Congratulations! It’s a baby girl! What will you name her?”

“What do you think, honey?”

“Hm. I feel like we should name her… Stephanie.”

**Author's Note:**

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e5-0t0pTF0


End file.
